Hitman - Episode 1: Paris Reviews
One thing's for sure: The more I've played Hitman's debut "episode" the more I've enjoyed it. Despite the often boneheaded AI and dire loading times, Hitman has definitely combined the best of both worlds. There's scope for it to improve in some areas as the levels are released throughout the year but this is a fun, confident start.
Hitman rediscovers its agency in this strong start for IO's episodic series.
Despite being a smart progression of Blood Money's ideas, Hitman feels unrefined and unfinished in lots of small but important ways.
Hitman returns to its puzzle-solving roots with an engrossing mix of stealth, violence, and very clever level design.
There's only so much fun you can get out of playing the same level over and over again
The first episode of Hitman has a lot to offer creative assassins, but enjoying it requires you to look past an array of inconsistencies.
The first episode of Hitman is a very strong start, and it's a return to form for a series that some were worried had begun to wander.
If you haven't yet entered the deadly world of Hitman, IO Interactive's newest installment makes for the most approachable take on the series yet. The amount of content may seem undersized for an episodic series, but the sheer amount of ways to approach each level will have you playing them over and over again to perfect the art of murder.
Stealing a staff uniform from the locker room, dropping your gun into a wastebasket so you can let a guard frisk you before he lets you into the room of a Sheik, then knocking the Shiek out, stealing his clothes, and infiltrating a high-society sale of state secrets so you can tamper with an outdoor heater and let a woman blow herself up when she goes to grab a smoke. That's Hitman's highs.
The first episode of Hitman is a solid starting point for the full game content, which is Contract-driven, with each environment focusing on a single mission with multiple objectives. This is a solid structure for the franchise, even if it's a little jarring to finish the first mission and realize you have to wait for the rest of what would have been released as a complete title.
Square-Enix and IO Interactive have certainly taken a gamble with Hitman, but so far it seems to paying off. With a low-price entry fee, there's enough included within the intro pack to last a good dozen hours or so, especially when you factor in user-generated contracts and other live game modes. There's certainly enough here to whet anyone's appetite, allowing IO to turn present future updates as mini-events, maintaining a constant buzz among fans throughout the year.
The wait has been long for a new Hitman game, and good as it may be, this one's going to have you waiting even longer for the full experience.
Playing the first episode of Hitman brought back fond memories of unique kills from previous titles, with the grander and more compelling scale of the game adding tons of replayability. I don't doubt there will be those left frustrated with the game's short length, but its focus on great gameplay is where Hitman truly shines. Even though you only feel like you've dipped your toes in the water, the first instalment of Hitman leaves a lot of promise for the rest of the series.
A strong start to the campaign, marred by some annoying technical issues.
[T]echnical issues aside, it's a relief to be playing a Hitman game that is built around the idea of social stealth. The execution may be flawed but it's aiming in the right direction and the disguise system, which now tips you off when a particularly canny NPC is able to look past your clothes and see the face of a stranger, is as good as it's ever been.
Based solely on the over-before-you-know-it first installment, Io Interactive's decision to segment its latest assassin adventure appears ill conceived
Square Enix and IO Interactive's new take on Hitman successfully blends the qualities that made the game famous with some modern innovations and remarkable detail.
Hitman tries an interesting balance of stuffing a lot into a little, but doesn't exactly pull it off with elegance. While levels are large sandboxes containing numerous death-fulfilling opportunities, they come with the extra baggage of lackluster technical performance. Without the option of going to different locations of an equal size, Hitman currently feels like a product that lacks in its offering once enemy patterns and building layouts have been memorized.
There has never been a better way to confront, or indulge, your inner assassin.
A devilishly delightful return to form